Rep. Nathan Deal, R-Gainesville, said he voted against the "cap and trade" bill that narrowly passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday night, despite a conservative talk show host’s claim that the Republican congressman would vote with House Democrats.

The bill calls for the nation’s first limits on pollution linked to global warming and aims to usher in a new era of cleaner, yet more costly energy. It passed 219-212, with the votes in favor primarily cast by House Democrats. Only eight Republicans supported it.

Republicans, including Deal, were overwhelmingly against the measure, arguing it would destroy jobs in the midst of a recession while burdening consumers with a new tax in the form of higher energy costs.

But a rumor started by conservative talk show host Sean Hannity had Deal’s staff reiterating that the gubernatorial candidate from Gainesville was against the bill, a campaign spokesman said.

On his radio show, Hannity claimed that Deal would vote in favor of the bill, though Deal had spoken on the House floor against the measure 30 minutes before the show aired, according to Harris Blackwood, communications director for Deal’s campaign for governor.

"It set off a wildfire," Blackwood said. "Our phones were ringing everywhere. Even our campaign. I mean, people were calling everywhere they could find a number."

After multiple calls, including one from former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Hannity later apologized to his radio audience and to Deal about the mistake, Blackwood said.

The legislation, now on its way to the Senate floor, would require the U.S. to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020 and by about 80 percent by midcentury.

After Friday’s House vote, Deal said the bill is "bad policy for our country" that he said would not please the American public.

"It’s going to cost us millions of jobs," Deal said. "It’s going to cause everybody’s utility bills to increase."

Deal said he felt the bill would specifically have a negative affect on Georgians because it does not offer credit to sources of nuclear energy as "renewable" energy sources and would require Georgia utility companies to buy clean energy credits from other regions of the country that provide solar and wind-powered energy.

Democrat John Barrow of Athens and the other six Republicans who represent Georgia in the House also voted against the bill.

"We’re going to lose the competitive advantage that we’ve always had which is to attract industry to the South ... because we’ll have to buy credits from another part of the country," Deal said.

On the House floor, Democrats hailed the legislation as historic.

It is "the most important energy and environmental legislation in the history of our country," said Rep. Ed Markey of Massachusetts. "It sets a new course for our country, one that steers us away from foreign oil and towards a path of clean American energy."

The bill now heads to the Senate. President Barack Obama praised the House's action Saturday and urged senators to follow suit.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.